Toyota Motor Corporation launched the all-new Crown on October 1. It features the introduction of the two-liter direct-injection turbocharged engine and the ITS Connect, the world’s first safety package that uses the standardized ITS frequency, which is available as an option.

At the product launch held in Tokyo on that same day, Chief Engineer Akira Akiyama revealed the reason why the two-liter direct-injection turbocharged engine was introduced to the Crown Athlete: “There is a larger chance of waiting in traffic jams or at traffic lights in Japan compared to Europe. In that aspect, hybrids will offer a much superior fuel economy. Meanwhile, while they look at having good fuel economy, many customers of luxury cars, such as the Crown, look for comfort and desire the feeling of a pleasant acceleration. From that perspective, we opted to have the supercharged downsized engine.”

Akiyama continued: “This engine is worthy of a luxury car. We were very particular about itâ€”that you won’t feel stress in any driving condition. Furthermore, it features many of Toyota’s state-of-the-art technologies. Examples of these are: the D-4ST technology that delivers maximum efficiency high-speed combustion; the Dual VVT-iW technology that optimally controls intake and exhaust valve timing; and a cylinder head that uses an integrated water-cooled exhaust manifold to achieve meticulous combustion control. These take the Crown’s comfort and performance to a higher dimension.